Overland trade between Pakistan and Iran has only partially resumed, leaving thousands of trucks stranded on both sides of the border more than a week after crossings were closed. Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told AFP that the frontier was "only partially open" to trade, with a vast backlog of vehicles waiting to cross. He estimated that there were "three to four thousand trucks on the Iranian side and two to three thousand trucks on the Pakistani side," with only certain vehicles being allowed through to clear the backlog.
The border crossings at Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan were closed on October 17, with Pakistani authorities in Balochistan citing security concerns and anti-smuggling measures, while Iran's foreign ministry attributed the closure to technical issues. The Gabd-Rimdan crossing, also known as Gate 250, reopened on October 24 for limited trade, but only vehicles with paperwork prepared before October 16 were initially permitted to cross, according to multiple businessmen in Balochistan.
Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, stated on social media that there were no restrictions on the Iranian side, including for the export of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). He placed responsibility for the disruption on "changes in the implementation of Pakistan's E-Form procedure for imports from Iran," which he said had created a situation in which traders were "effectively and literally unable to dispatch cargo from Iran to Pakistan". The E-Form is an electronic documentation requirement for imports, and the procedural changes reportedly left many shipments unable to proceed even as physical border infrastructure reopened.
The disruption has had a pronounced impact on Pakistan's LPG supply chain. According to the Pakistan LPG Association, the country imports approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of LPG daily from Iran, with more than 4,000 tonnes entering through the Gabd-Rimdan crossing alone. The Gwadar Chamber of Commerce stated that the suspension of LPG imports and the "abrupt closure of the border" had led to "disrupting the national LPG supply chain, and causing prices to skyrocket". Traders reported that the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder rose from 4,500 Pakistani rupees to 7,000 rupees within days, with prices reaching 7,500 rupees in Lahore and 8,200 rupees in Skardu.
Beyond energy supplies, the border disruption has affected agricultural exports. More than 1,000 Pakistani containers carrying potatoes, bananas, and rice destined for Iran were stranded during the closure, though the Gabd-Rimdan crossing reopened for perishable exports on October 22. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry advised its members to suspend new orders with Iran until further notice, reflecting uncertainty over when normal trade flows would resume.
Truck drivers stranded at the crossings described difficult conditions with limited access to basic amenities. One driver, Abdul Ghani Baloch, told Reuters he had been waiting for more than a week for the border to reopen. The prolonged waits have raised concerns about driver welfare and the operational costs borne by transport companies on both sides of the border. Security incidents have compounded the challenges, with unidentified gunmen reportedly targeting parked trucks near the Gabd-Rimdan crossing on October 22, setting dozens of vehicles ablaze.
The reopening of the border followed a visit by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Tehran earlier in the week, during which border issues and bilateral relations were discussed with Iranian leadership. Local administrators in Balochistan reportedly deployed additional security forces to protect trade convoys before allowing the crossing to reopen. Consultations between the two governments on resolving the E-Form procedural issues and restoring full trade flows are understood to be ongoing.
Pakistan and Iran share a 909-kilometre border that separates Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province from Pakistan's Balochistan province. Bilateral trade stood at approximately $2.8 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year, including roughly $684 million in Pakistani exports, according to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The current disruption highlights the vulnerability of land-based trade routes to procedural changes and security incidents, particularly for energy supplies that are difficult to substitute at short notice. Traders on both sides have urged authorities to allow the complete resumption of trade, with Kalmati noting that his members and drivers were "frustrated, they want to go back home, they want to continue their business".